Unprepared

How to spell unprepared

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce unprepared

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unprepared mean?

1. adjectiveNot ready or equipped to deal with something.

Unprepared in a sentence

• The team was completely unprepared for the sudden change in schedule.

• Many travellers arrive unprepared for the cold winter nights.

Where does unprepared come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built on 'prepare', which English took in the late 1300s from the Old French preparer, itself drawn from the Latin praeparare, meaning 'to make ready in advance'. That Latin verb joins prae, meaning 'before', with parare, meaning 'to make ready' or 'to provide', the same root that lies behind 'repair', 'apparatus', and even 'parade'. The negative prefix 'un-', a thoroughly native English element meaning 'not', was attached to the past participle 'prepared' to describe someone caught without readiness. The combination is recorded from the 1500s and has kept its straightforward sense ever since. The spelling stays regular because each piece is added cleanly with no doubled letters: un plus prepared, exactly as the parts suggest.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• pre- (before)
• par(e) (from Latin parare: to make ready)
• -ed (adjective/past participle suffix)